Charmed Drabbles
by rhpsdeadzonefan
Summary: A collection of itty bitty drabbles originally part of a multi-fandom prompt fill, separated here by fandom.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Originally these were part of a series of multi-fandom drabbles posted on another site. I've decided to condense them by fandom here. All prompts found on the fanfiction subreddit on Reddit. Set after Charmed S4E7. I went a little over the word count on this one. June 2: No shipping! Character A has found the perfect gift to show Character B how much they love them. For all my shippers, I'll have you covered later on! (Up to 500 Words)

"Leo!" Piper called out to her husband as she made her way around the manor. She went downstairs and stood in the living room. "LEO!"

White lights danced in front of her before forming into her husband. "Piper..." He gave her a look, already knowing what she wanted him to do.

"Leo, it's _fine_ ," She insisted to him, rolling her eyes. "I just need you to do this for me before Paige gets home."

"Is something wrong?" Phoebe asked as she came down the stairs, Cole following not far behind her. "We heard you yelling."

"Everything's fine. It would be even better if Leo would go ahead and do what I asked."

"Piper, we've been over this. It's personal gain," He insisted to her, sounding like a broken record.

"It's not personal gain. It's for Paige. Really, you'd be doing some poor delivery man a favor - saving him from a trip into demon-central," Piper countered.

"Really?"

"Well... it _could_ happen," Piper said, though she didn't sound very convincing.

"She's right, you know," Cole said with a shrug before putting his arm around Phoebe. The pair were standing off to the side, watching the pair argue. "Technically, it wouldn't be personal gain."

"See? Cole agrees with me," Piper said, gesturing to the half-demon. Maybe he wasn't the best backup on this argument though if she wanted to win it.

"And that's all it is? It doesn't have anything to do with the delivery fee or the otherwise two week wait?" Leo asked her, ignoring the other argument for now.

"If she saves on the delivery fee, we can afford to fix the grandfather clock," Phoebe helpfully chimed in. "Oooh! And it wouldn't be personal gain because Piper hates it."

"I'm not using my powers to orb in a chair so we can save a little money-"

" _And_ get it here in time," Piper reminded him.

"Where's the furniture store?" Cole finally asked. If Leo wasn't willing, Cole certainly didn't have a moral problem transporting it. It would also have the added bonus of stopping the bickering between the couple.

"You'd do that? I thought you were trying to lay low because of all the bounty hunters?" Phoebe asked him, concerned about him shimmering all over town.

"I'll just make a few pit stops on the way back, so long as Paige won't mind her chair dimension hopping," He said, as though it were no big deal.

Leo just shook his head, exhausted by the group and their logic. "I've got to go. One of my charges needs me."

"Just be back for Paige's surprise," Piper told him as he orbed away. She turned to Cole and gave him the address to the furniture store. "Just promise me you'll get it here without it being scorched by an energy ball... or covered in demon slime."

"Cole's risking his life by shimmering and you're concerned about the chair?" Phoebe asked her sister, crossing her arms.

"Do you want to have to pay for another one?"

"Good point. Be careful, sweetie," She said to her boyfriend before leaning in and giving him a kiss.

"I promise your surprise will be here soon," Piper said to her youngest sister as they waited. It had been hours since Cole had left to go get the present and thirty minutes since Paige had arrived home from work. She gave a look to her husband, knowing that if he had just gone to get it like she had asked, it would have been there on time.

As if on cue, Cole shimmered into the room, looking worse for wear, but the chair he'd shimmered in with him was pristine.

Paige gasped at the sight. "Oh my god! You replaced my chair? I told you that you didn't have to."

"I wanted to," Piper insisted to her. "You're part of this family and it was my fault it got destroyed in the first place. If you're going to live here, you deserve to add your own flair to the place," She said before giving her youngest sister a hug.

"Thank you. I love it. I really do. Did you guys have to custom order it?"

Before anyone could answer Paige, a demon bounty hunter shimmered in, throwing an energy ball in Cole's direction. Fortunately for Cole, he was a bad aim, but Paige's brand new chair wasn't so lucky. The stuffing and fabric exploded and burned, leaving a hole in this one too. Cole created an energy ball of his own and threw it, vanquishing the bounty hunter.

All was silent for a few more moments until Leo finally spoke.

"Told you we should have paid the delivery fee."


	2. Chapter 2

Cut scene set in S4E4 of Charmed. May 2: Floating. Flying. Levitating. Your character experiences the joy—or terror—of their feet leaving the ground. (100 Words)

Paige was in the basement, trying to focus. How had she screwed up this badly? It was just a simple potion and now she and Phoebe had switched bodies! Maybe Piper was right... maybe she didn't care. But then again, she was new at this. Wasn't there a learning curve? She couldn't be a superwitch overnight.

She looked down, realizing she was several feet off the ground. Phoebe's power! She'd figured it out! She-

Fell. She fell right on Phoebe's ass. She got up and tried to jump to levitate again. That's how Cole found her when he shimmered in.

"What are you doing?"


	3. Chapter 3

Set in early S5 of Charmed. May 3: Thursdays. I never could get the hang of Thursdays. For your characters, this Thursday is exceptionally strange because they have woken up with powers/abilities they didn't have-or didn't know they had-before. (200 Words)

"Well _that's_ new," Cole muttered to himself as he looked at the smoldering remains of his coffee pot. Ever since he'd fought his way back from the wasteland, he was still trying to get a grip on all of his newly acquired powers.

Thus far, his Thursday morning wasn't going well at all. He'd managed to break the metal handle off on the shower just by trying to adjust it. He'd nearly wrecked his closet (and almost poked out an eye) by accidentally flying his suits around the room trying to pick one out. Now all he'd done was reach out to touch the handle of coffee pot - or so he thought. How was he to know that his hand had gotten hot enough to melt it?

He suspected that it all had to do with his emotions. Stop thinking about Phoebe, get the emotions back in check, and all the powers would fall into place. Still, it was a little disconcerting that he didn't even know all of his abilities yet. He sighed and waved his hand over the remains of the coffee pot, restoring it and the coffee within.

Cole smiled. Maybe it wasn't _all_ bad.


	4. Chapter 4

May 4: Use these four words in a drabble — fairydust (replace with a different magical word if it doesn't exist in your world), gleam, glacial, sleep. (100 Words)

"ACHOO!"

The fairydust induced sneeze had sent Paige orbing and when she opened her eyes, she panicked, taking stock of her surroundings.

" _Uh oh..._ "

Glacial mountains sparkled around her and she noticed the gleam of the icy waters below. A shiver ran through her and she crossed her arms, trying to stay warm. Breathing in the frigid air, she felt another sneeze coming on.

"ACHOO!"

She opened her eyes again and was staring at her eldest sister, back safely in the warm attic of Halliwell manor.

"Paige, where did you go? Did you just spill all of the fairydust?"

"Ugh. _Don't ask_. I just wanna sleep."


	5. Chapter 5

Set between seasons 2 and 3. May 7: The potion only had three ingredients, so it is a wonder it even worked at all, though not as expected. (200 Words) Bonus: Now your characters have to clean up the mess (+200 Words)

Mandrake root, eye of newt, and oregano. Those had been the three ingredients the potion had called for and Prue had thought that something so easy had to be too good to be true. She was proven right when she'd put in the pinch of oregano and the whole kitchen filled with blue smoke. She sighed. Normally Piper was the one that was the best at potion making, but since she and Leo had been away for over two weeks now with nary a word, Prue was trying to pick up the slack in that department.

As the smoke cleared, Prue looked around with abject horror at her surroundings.

" _Phoebe_!" She called out to her sister.

The younger Halliwell soon came running but skidded to a halt in the doorway, mouth agape at the scene before her.

"Did you redecorate in here?" She finally asked, trying to hold back laughter.

"It's not funny!"

"It kind of is," Phoebe said, with a giggle. The entire kitchen, including Prue, was stained bright blue.

" _Phoebe_!" Prue snapped at her, trying to get her to focus.

"Sorry," The younger sister said, but she still couldn't help but smile at the sight. "Get the book?"

"Get the book," Prue agreed.

"I've looked all through this thing and I'm not finding any sort of reversal spell for something like this," Phoebe called out from the living room. "What was the vanquish potion you were trying to make again?"

"For the Zglormtok demon! The 'Z' is silent!" Prue called from the kitchen, not wanting to leave in case she'd track blue footprints through the house.

"Silent z? Seriously?" Phoebe muttered as she flipped through the book. She found the entry and looked at the gnarly looking drawing of the demon, as well as the vanquish potion.

She went into the kitchen, carrying the book to show Prue. "Was this it?"

"Yes! That's it! That's... _oh_."

"Oh?"

"I used oregano when it called for origanum," Prue sheepishly admitted and Phoebe held back another laugh. Prue gave her a look though. "Does the book say how to fix this?"

"Not specifically... but I think I have an idea," Phoebe said, taking a step back.

"The room is blue and so is Prue. _So_... take this magic and undo!"

"Did you _just_ make that up?" Prue asked, alarmed.

"It worked, didn't it?" Phoebe asked with a shrug, looking around the room. Everything was back to normal. "Maybe I should make the next potion."


	6. Chapter 6

Set in early S4. May 8: Your character regales the other(s) with a supernatural tale from their culture. (300 Words)

"You know, there's a lot of demon folklore about these," Cole mentioned, picking up one of the ingredients that the sisters were using to make a potion... or maybe it was dinner? They had several pots going on the stove. Cole had gotten bored waiting around for Phoebe to get home from running errands, so he'd decided to join Piper and Paige in the kitchen.

"Really? There's demon folklore?" Paige asked, giving him a sideways glance as she stirred.

"I'm not surprised there is," Piper commented as she added a pinch of salt to one of the pots. She'd read enough in the Book of Shadows to know that even demons had their own culture. "I'm more surprised there's any concerning beets."

"Oh yeah. They're used in a lot of rituals," Cole commented, tossing the small beet from hand to hand. "It's said that the first beet was conjured by the demon Xorluxe in order to poison a mortal that had backed out of a deal. Legend says that he used the darkest magics in order to create something that would make whoever ate it bleed out internally, so that it would be an incredibly slow, excruciating death," He explained nonchalantly before putting the beet back on the counter. "It's said that they're still somewhat dangerous to certain mortals, especially magical ones. Anyway, I should be heading back upstairs," He said before leaving the room.

Phoebe returned not too long after Cole had finished his story and she went into the kitchen. She spotted Piper putting the vegetables back into the fridge. "No beets for dinner?"

"You can thank your boyfriend. He says beets are dangerous to magical mortals," Paige explained.

Phoebe had to hold back a laugh. "You know he wasn't being serious, right? He just hates beets."

"Just for that, I'm mixing them into the sauce," Piper said, pulling out the vegetables again.


	7. Chapter 7

Charmed fandom - Early S4 May 13: A flower has special properties and it is just what your character has been looking for. (100 Words)

Chapter Text

"Oh my God... Is that what I think it is?" Piper asked her sister as she brought in a bouquet.

"They're from Cole. Aren't they- _Hey_!" Phoebe pulled away from her sister as Piper reached and pulled out one of the flowers from the center of the bouquet.

"These aren't just any flowers. They're Roselarks."

"Say what now?"

"Roselarks," Piper repeated. "They're imbued with incredibly powerful magic. You haven't seen them in the book before?"

Phoebe shook her head.

"Well, be sure to thank Cole for me. And stick those in some water. We'll need these to make potions later." Maybe Cole was looking out for them after all.


	8. Chapter 8

Set in early S4. Probably my favorite of these thus far. May 15: Character A takes Character B to a magical place to cheer them up (300 Words)

"Where are we?" Phoebe asked, looking around the garden Cole had shimmered them to. "Is it safe here?"

"It's safe," Cole promised her. "The bounty hunters can't track us here and even if they could, they wouldn't be allowed entry," He explained to her. "This is hallowed ground. Demons usually aren't permitted."

"Then how did you...?

"Let's just say they know my intentions are entirely pure," Cole said to her. He wasn't there for himself or for personal gain. Cole knew she'd been nearly inconsolable after losing Prue and he wanted to remind her that there was still beauty and light in the world worth living for.

"You never told me where we are or what's so special about this place," She said to him, looking around.

He took her hand and guided her to sit on the lone bench in the middle of the garden.

"Just watch," He said to her, waiting with her as the sun set before them. They sat in silence, watching as the sky went from pink to a deep dark purple.

As the sun set, Phoebe could make out glimmering lights - not quite orbs - but faint, shining, swirling and twinkling.

"Are those fireflies?" She asked him, confused.

"Souls."

"What?"

"This is where new souls are formed and where old souls are recycled. All of those lights you see... they're all souls. They're all _life_... people waiting to be born into the world."

"Are we...?" She gestured to the sky, wondering if they were in the presence of Elders and Cole shook his head.

"While this is their territory, it's not quite _up there_ ," He explained.

Phoebe looked up and around them, taking in all the brilliant lights surrounding them - all the lives that had yet to live.

"Thank you," Phoebe said softly with tears in her eyes.

Cole kissed her temple and put his arm around her, keeping her close as they watched pure life shine around them.


	9. Chapter 9

So for this one, I've ignored the word count. Since psychic visions are already part of the Charmed mythos, I wanted to do something a little different than that with this prompt. Slight crossover with several fandoms! May 19: What did your character see inside the crystal ball? (Feel free to interpret this to fit worlds). (100 Words)

Cole was gone. Vanquished. Their child was gone too and Phoebe found herself feeling so incredibly alone. She pulled Cole's pillow close to her, breathing in his cologne between her sobs. Eventually, she fell into a restless sleep with the pillow still held against her.

She didn't know if they were dreams or visions, but she saw flashes of Cole she'd never seen before. Cole in a suit brandishing a gun like he was looking for someone. Cole dressed in surgical scrubs, looking confident as ever as he strode into a surgical suite. Cole with silver hair and a beard, standing at a microphone on stage. Cole in a metal suit. Cole in a white room dressed in white pajamas. None of the images made sense to her. He was at different ages in each of them. The last image was of Cole - her Cole - bearded and dressed in black against a red sky behind him.

" _Phoebe_..."

She awoke with a start, still clutching the pillow tight. She didn't know what the dream vision meant, but somehow she felt it wasn't over yet.


	10. Chapter 10

May 20: Your character has been told for years the stories of hauntings / strange goings on / magic in this place. Now it's their turn to find out. (300 Words)

"It's okay... It's just an old factory like any other old factory..." Phoebe muttered as she walked through the musky abandoned warehouse.

She'd heard rumors of it being haunted when she was a kid and Grams had always warned her and her sisters to steer clear during their high school years, when teens in the area were known to go explore it and use it as a makeout hub. Every time she'd been by the building, she'd always gotten a bad vibe from it, but she'd never been able to place it. She'd felt it when she had the premonition earlier, the one that led her there now. There was an innocent in trouble and both Piper and Paige were busy, but it was nothing Phoebe herself couldn't handle. The vision she'd had didn't seem inherently evil in nature. The runaway child she'd seen hiding there had broken her leg in the vision and needed medical help, but she wasn't sure if it had already happened yet or not.

Even with a few years of fighting literal demons under her belt, she still felt uneasy walking through the warehouse. She heard something nearby and she nearly jumped out of her skin, but relaxed a bit seeing that it was just the young girl from her vision. She hurried over to her, careful not to make the same mistake the girl had and fall over some of the debris littering the floor. The girl was knocked out cold. Inspecting her leg, Phoebe knew there was no way she was getting her out of there on her own. She called out for Leo, but even after her desperate cries, the whitelighter didn't show up. That was when she noticed the markings on the floor. If Leo couldn't get to them there, maybe there was someone else that could.

"Magic forces black and white reaching out through space and light... Be he far or be he near, bring me the demon Belthazor here," Phoebe called out, hoping that it worked.

The air swirled around around her and soon, standing before her was her boyfriend, Cole Turner.

"Phoebe?" He was shocked to see that she was the one summoning him. "What are you doing here? You shouldn't be here," He insisted, looking around before his gaze finally landed on the small girl next to her.

"She's hurt and I can't get her out. I can't get ahold of Leo," She admitted worriedly as Cole moved closer to crouch down next to her and the girl.

"He can't hear you from in here. This place is protected from whitelighters and most light magic," He told her. "You're here alone? Where are your sisters?"

"They're busy and I thought I could handle this one on my own," She told him, realizing just how foolish she sounded. "It's just a little girl with a broken leg. There wasn't anything demonic in my premonition... but this place always has given me the creeps. I guess I know why now."

Cole smiled a little at that. "Guess so," He agreed. He gently gathered the little girl in his arms and lifted her up, careful not to stir her too much or hurt her leg even more. "Hold onto me. I'll shimmer us back to the manor and you can get Leo to help her," He suggested.

Phoebe put an arm around his waist and closed her eyes as they shimmered out of the warehouse. She could tell the change in atmosphere immediately once they were at the manor. It was like the tension slipped from her body and she wasn't on high alert anymore.

"It's because you're so good," Cole said to her, glancing down at her.

"What?"

"You sensed the evil in that place. It practically makes your skin crawl. It just radiates from it, if you know what you're looking for," He mentioned. "Most people just write it off, but they shouldn't." He moved to put the little girl on the couch. "Remind me to tell you later about some of the other places to avoid and the warning signs," He suggested. First they would get the girl help and then he could tell Phoebe the history of the building they'd found her in and why it was so important to trust your gut instinct about places.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: May 22: Use these four words in a drabble — vial, salt, brew, ethereal. (100 Words)

"Just a pinch of salt and..."

Piper dropped the grains of salt into the potion and it was complete. She'd followed the recipe from the book right down to the letter and she hoped that her effort would prove enough to vanquish the demon they were after. She picked up the vial from the counter and carefully funneled the brew inside it, capping it off with a cork. The almost ethereal glow the pink potion in her hand gave off was deceiving, or at least she hoped it was. She filled another vial for good measure, just in case.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:** This one is set during the episode Black As Cole.

 **September 1:** Platonic, romantic, or purely professional, these two characters make an odd couple. How they each respond to an unexpected problem only highlights their differences. (400 words)

* * *

"How does this thing... _work_?" Cole asked, holding the plastic baby out at arm's length. Despite his earlier protests, he'd somehow ended up with the wailing gizmo while Leo was trying to come up with some sort of carrier for the plastic nightmare.

"I think you just have to rock it and soothe it to get it to stop. Have you checked it's diaper?" Leo asked him and Cole made a face.

"I'm pretty sure all we're going to find in that diaper is a trademark stamp saying 'Made In Taiwan'," He said with a scoff as he looked the fake baby over. "Where's the battery pack?" Cole began to undo the blanket around the fake baby in order to look for the battery terminal.

"We can't take out its batteries, Cole. They'd know," Leo was quick to insist.

"What do you think? That it's going to tell on us?" Cole asked dryly and Leo shot him a look.

"There's some sort of chip in it, I think. It'll log the power outage. Besides, that's cheating." Leo was taking this whole exercise very seriously. He wanted children with Piper. If taking care of a fake baby would help her see they could handle it, he was up to the task.

Cole sighed. "Well, we need to do _something_ to shut it up. I think it's getting louder."

"I already told you to rock it or check its diaper."

"You check its diaper."

"I'm trying to make the carrier."

"I'll make the carrier."

"You said you didn't want to make the carrier!"

"I'll make the damn carrier if you get this thing to shut up!" Cole thrust the plastic baby towards the whitelighter, clearly frustrated with the cacophonous monstrosity.

Leo gently took the baby and rocked it in his arms.

"I don't see what the big deal is. Haven't you thought about having kids with Phoebe someday?"

"Not plastic ones."

"Just quarter demon-witch hybrids?"

"That thing is far more demonic and evil than I am or ever will be," Cole insisted.

Leo just smiled and shook his head. The baby had finally quieted. "See? You've just got to be gentle with it."

"You're sure we can't look for a mute button?"

Leo sighed. It was going to be a long day.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: This same prompt inspired my fic The Grand Redesign, but I decided to follow the word count guideline this time around.

May 23: Your character has been given the chance to change another's fate, but how will they use it? (400 Words)

* * *

Cole Turner was worried. Well, as much as one could worry as a non corporeal being stuck in a void between life and death. He'd been keeping an eye on Phoebe ever since he'd been vanquished for good there and he didn't like what he saw. She was struggling, unable to truly open her heart again after him and memories flooded him of the older version of Phoebe that had lost her life futilely trying to save him from the Source. He wished he could talk to her now - find out if even though they had gone through with the wedding if anything in her future had really changed, but he had a sinking feeling he already knew. Even knowing what he had been and holding such hostility towards him, she was still so willing to try to save him. She had still loved him. He was scared that after everything, he'd put her right back on that path again - winding up alone as a bitter old woman. Cole knew he couldn't let that happen to her. He couldn't bear to think that anything he'd done would rob her of true love or of ever having the family she so longed for.

He worked tirelessly from his void, doing what little he could to influence the outside world. He found that communication with other beings was possible, if a bit difficult and time consuming. Then again, he had nothing but time these days. He soon found it was easier to get in touch with those who were closer to their death than their birth and it was just a matter of getting the right person to pass on a message through the grapevine to whoever he wanted to contact. It was a bit convoluted, but it got the job done.

He'd made it possible for Drake to become human for a year - tediously calling in favors in order to get in contact with the right people to make it happen. His only condition had been that Drake repay the favor by helping Phoebe. He'd known Drake for years and knew he was a good man. He just hoped that if anyone could get through to her, it would be him. He just hoped it was enough to spare her from her fate as a bitter lonely old woman. She deserved a better future than that.


	14. In Flames

A/N: Originally posted on Reddit. November 1st (Thoughtful Thursday) - Loss. Show us your character's thoughts at the moment they lost something important to them - whether an object, a person, or something else entirely. (100 words)

* * *

Cole Turner knew he was dying. Even though the Source had taken him over long ago, there was still enough of him left to feel every single moment of his vanquish. There had been moments throughout the past few months where the Source had allowed him more free will, especially when it came to Phoebe and now was no exception. Of course when faced with death, the Source cowered deep within him. Cole was dying by his wife's hand so it was only fitting that he felt every moment. The flames engulfed his body, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the thought of never seeing Phoebe or their unborn child. Even in death, he knew he had to find a way back to them.


	15. Wrong

A/N: November 2nd (Friday Feelings) - Love. What does love mean to your character? Who do they love and why? (200 words

* * *

He didn't know how it happened. He didn't know _when_ it happened. Things went _wrong_. It was just another job like any other - get close, infiltrate the Charmed Ones and kill them from within. How _had it_ gone so wrong? Cole Turner - no... _Belthazor_ was a feared upper level demon. He didn't have time for whatever this was. He had a job to do and he couldn't let this get in the way. The Triad would have his head and he'd never gain his father's soul if he didn't finish the job. Someone else would be sent in his place anyway.

But how could he? It was Phoebe. Each time Belthazor - no, _Cole_ thought about her, his heart raced and his stomach fluttered. He wanted to protect her. He wanted to tell her everything - give up _everything_. He wanted to spend the rest of his life making up his betrayal. He'd never felt anything like it before and it scared him to his core. Wrong had never felt so right as it was lying next to her and he wasn't ready to give this up - to give _her_ up. So he'd be wrong - even if just for one night more.


	16. Demon Problems

A/N: Originally posted on Reddit.

[WP] "That demon has done nothing but sit on the couch and watch soap operas ever since we summoned him!"

* * *

"What's the problem?" Cole asked as he shimmered into the manor, cell phone still in hand, but looking ready for a fight. Phoebe had called him telling him that he needed to come quickly and she had no more than said the words than he was right there, phone call still ongoing. She and Paige looked a little bewildered at his sudden appearance and Phoebe ended the call and replaced the handset on the landline phone she had been using.

"Honey, that was fast," Phoebe said to him, clearly impressed.

"You said you needed me," Cole said innocently. "What is it? The Source? Demons?"

"Sort of?" She said, a little sheepishly.

"What do you mean _sort of_?" Cole asked, looking to the other sister for help.

"Well, we _sort of_ have a demon problem in the living room," Paige chimed in.

"Why do neither of you seem all that concerned?" Cole asked, looking from one sister to another. He thought they seemed awfully calm if they indeed had some sort of demon somehow trapped in the living room.

"That demon has done nothing but sit on the couch and watch soap operas ever since we summoned him!" Piper informed as she entered from the kitchen. She seemed like she was at the end of her rope with the situation.

Even with her explanation, Cole was even more confused than he had been before. "You _summoned a demon_?" He asked, just to be certain.

"And he's the laziest damn demon we've ever met!" Piper told him. "He didn't even try to kill us!"

"Was that the _goal_?" Cole asked, still trying to suss out the situation.

"Of course not! But when you tell a demon you're a Charmed one in this house, generally they _do_ try to kill you," Phoebe said to her boyfriend. "No offense, honey," She was quick to add, giving him a little pat on the chest as she looked up to him with a smile.

"None taken," Cole said, but he was still wondering what this was all about. "So... what exactly is it that you need me here for?"

"Get his demon ass off our couch and back to the hell dimension he came from," Piper told him.

"I think what Piper _meant_ to say was _'please'_ and ' _thank you'_ ," Phoebe added.

"I thought you said you summoned him and now you want him gone?" Cole asked.

"I found him in the book of shadows and from the entry, it seemed like he'd be willing to help with this potion we were making," Paige began to explain.

"Seriously? Do you realize how dangerous that could have been for all of you?" Cole snapped at her before looking to his girlfriend. "You two are leaving her alone with the book now?" He asked Phoebe of her newfound sister. He thought that she was too irresponsible with magic thus far and obviously, this was just another example.

"She's our sister and she needs to learn-"

"Not by summoning random demons from the book! She could have gotten you killed!"

"At this point, I'd rather have to fight him than have to get out the Cheeto stains he's leaving on the couch or listen to the awful soap operas he's watching! They aren't even the good ones," Piper said, loud enough that the demon in the other room could hear.

Cole sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He moved away from his girlfriend and walked in to see who they were dealing with. He rolled his eyes when he saw who was sprawled across the couch. "This isn't a demon!" He called out to the Charmed Ones, who followed him into the living room.

"Are you sure?" Phoebe asked him.

"Of course I'm sure! This is a Trickster. A lazy trickster," He commented, looking him over and giving his leg a kick. The man glanced up at Cole. He did a double take though and quickly stood.

"Belthazor?" He asked, recognizing him and slightly cowering.

"Oh, so you're scared of _him_?" Piper asked with a frown.

"Chip, give them what they need and get the hell out of here," Cole warned him.

" _Chip? Seriously_?" Paige asked with a little scoff. "The book said his name was Sycophantam?"

"That's Latin for trickster," Cole explained to her. "Chip is the name he goes by here," He mentioned.

"I didn't realize you were affiliated with these _witches_ ," Chip said, spitting out the word as though it were poison on his tongue.

"I am. Looks like you're out of the loop," Cole said to him. "And it would be wise for you to do whatever they ask and then clean up your mess and leave. If you're afraid of me, you should be downright _terrified_ of them," He said, thinking that might put a little fear into him to get off his ass and do something. "They're the Charmed Ones."

"They really _are_ the Charmed Ones?" Chip asked him dubiously.

"You dare to question an upper level demon?" Cole asked, beginning to form an energy ball in his hand for effect.

Chip's eyes went wide. "O-Of course not," The trickster stammered. "It's just they're the stuff of legends. They're not real."

"Where have you been for the past few years?" Cole asked, a little confused. Even the lowly tricksters should have heard by now about the Charmed ones.

"I don't get out much," Chip said with a shrug.

"Just go," Cole ordered him. "Paige, get what you need from him and then he'll be going. He looked to the trickster. "If you try anything," He warned, but he didn't even have to finish. Chip was already more than willing to help now that he knew for sure who he was up against.

"Thank you," Piper said. "I'd better go supervise," She mentioned, not wanting Paige to get tricked by him somehow. The entry in the book had been misleading enough.

Phoebe went over to her boyfriend and put her arms around him. "Thank you for helping," She said to him. "I think you saved Piper from blowing up the couch," She mentioned and Cole smiled a little. "You know... since you're already here..." Phoebe suggested with a grin. She didn't have to say anything else before Cole pulled her close and shimmered them both to the bedroom.


	17. The Enemy Within

A/N: November 3rd (Saturday Relations) - Enemies. Does your character have an enemy? How do they relate to them? What drives your character's conflict with their enemy? (300 words)

* * *

The Source was eating away at him. Bit by bit the man who used to work for the Source was slowly becoming him and there was nothing he could do to stop it. In the beginning, Cole tried his best to fight him off, clinging to Phoebe and his love for her, but it hadn't been enough. The Source was too strong, too overpowering. He felt more of himself slipping away into the void and the Source pushing himself to the surface instead. Still, the Source needed him. If Cole gave up completely, the Source wouldn't be strong enough to survive in the body that didn't belong to him. So the Source allowed him moments - feelings. The strongest part of him was also his biggest weakness and the Source used it to his advantage to keep a stronghold on him. Cole took what he could like scraps, sustaining him for another day while the Source continued to drain him dry.

Cole hated him. He hated what he was being forced to become. He hated that he couldn't tell Phoebe what was happening to him. He hated that there was no means of escape - no retreat from an enemy now so deeply embedded within that he wasn't sure where the Source ended and he began. He hated the Seer, who had tricked him into this whole mess in the first place and who kept ensuring he'd never be free from the evil inside him. Perhaps most of all, he hated himself for not realizing it sooner - for not doing more or fighting harder in an already impossible fight. He knew there was only one way this would end. He knew it deep down and he was certain the Source knew it too. He sat down in a moment of clarity, writing the letter for Phoebe while the Source still allowed it. When he was finished, he tucked it away in the safe, waiting for the day when it would all come crashing down and both man and monster would be vanquished once and for all.


	18. Out Sourced

A/N: Set during the S4 episode "We're Off To See The Wizard."

November 4th (Any Other Sunday) - What if? Let's start our AUs off with a classic canon divergence. Describe what happens to your character if one key event in their life turns out differently. (500 words)

* * *

Cole felt the Source leaving his body and into the Wizard. The spell had completed without interruption and he fell to his knees, finally free of the evil that had taken him over. He felt so drained, so mortal. The Seer and Phoebe shimmered into the room and he looked over at them.

"Cole?" Phoebe questioned, looking concerned for her husband. She ran to him and knelt down beside him, looking him over to see if he was hurt.

"You're too late," The Wizard said with a satisfied grin - the power of the Source of All Evil already coursing through him.

"No," The Seer said, looking from one to the other. "You've ruined everything," She snapped at Cole, but he didn't even look up at her. He was still focused on his wife.

"Phoebe, I'm so sorry," He apologized to her. "I tried. I tried to fight him off, but he was too strong. I never meant for any of this to happen," He admitted to her desperately, needing her to understand.

"Baby, it's okay," Phoebe said to him. "We can fix it. We can get your powers back from him in time for the coronation," She assured, already looking at the Wizard like she could murder him.

"No! Phoebe, stop," Cole reached for her to keep her next to him. "Stop. This isn't you. You don't have an evil bone in your body," He told her for the second time that night. "You don't want this. _I_ don't want this," Cole told her.

"As touching as all of this is, I really have a coronation to get to," The Wizard stated, grabbing the Grimoire from the podium. "Don't be late, Seer," He warned before he flamed out of the room.

The Seer glared again at the couple still hunched on the floor. "This isn't over. That baby inside her belongs to the Source. It isn't yours. It was never yours-"

"If you come anywhere near our baby or my wife again, I'll kill you," Cole warned.

"With what power?" The Seer challenged him. She knew he'd been returned to his completely human form. "I warned you your feelings for the witch would be your undoing. They still will," She said to him before shimmering out of the room.

Now alone with his wife, Cole sighed. "Phoebe, we need to find your sisters. We need-" He paused, just as the other two Charmed ones and Leo orbed into the apartment.

"Thank God we found you," Piper said to her sister.

"Honey, get away from him," Paige urged her.

"It's over," Cole informed them, still holding onto Phoebe's hand. "We need your help... please?"

"Baby, we can still stop the coronation. There's still time. You can still become the Source," Phoebe insisted, much to the horror of her sisters.

" _The Source_?" Piper asked. " _You're_ the new Source?"

"Not anymore," Cole said to them. "I was possessed after I took in the Hollow and vanquished him. I was only just able to transfer the Source to the Wizard. I don't have any powers anymore. I'm human," He assured them.

"We have to stop the Wizard-" Piper began, but Cole stopped her.

"We have to help Phoebe and the baby. She comes first. We were married in a dark ceremony. That was something the Seer and the Source wanted to ensure our baby would be susceptible to evil. The baby has the potential to be the greatest force of good the world's ever seen, but not if we don't fix this."

"How do we know this isn't just another lie?" Paige asked.

"Because no matter what you think about me, we can all agree how much I love Phoebe. She's everything," He said before looking to his wife. "My love for you was the only thing that kept me going. I promise we'll make this right." Cole was going to do everything he could to make sure he'd see both the Seer and the Source vanquished and to see his child become a powerful force for good. He wasn't going to allow evil to take anything else from him. Never again.


	19. Downpour

A/N: Set in Charmed season 5.

November 5th (Monday Metaphors) - Weather. Whether (har har) your character is like sunshine, bringing hope and joy to all they meet, or raining on everyone's parade, tell us something about your character using a weather event such as rain, a typhoon, or a storm. (200 words)

November 6th (Tuesday Choices) - Black or White. Good and evil, night and day, Zekrom and Reshiram, or just which colour dress to wear to the party? (200 words)

* * *

It had finally rained. After months of desolate dryness, the skies had finally opened, drenching the streets of San Francisco. Tiny droplets on their own were nothing, but together they could create a torrential downpour swift enough to cause a flash flood. Everything that had been ebbing away at him finally broke free. What good had being good ever done him anyway? No one believed he was capable of being a good man no matter what he did, so did it really matter if he kept trying? What good were all the demonic powers he'd acquired if he couldn't use them to get his life back or even end it? He didn't want the powers to begin with. They had been a means to an end he'd never see fulfilled. If the Charmed Ones wanted a villain, they had one. That's all he'd ever be to them anyway. The thunder crashed outside as the rain pelted the windows of the penthouse. Cole Turner had made his decision. He was through holding back.


	20. Humanities: 101

A/N: November 7th (Worldly Wednesday) - Education. What opportunities are there for learning in this setting? Are there any your character did or did not take advantage of? (400 words)

* * *

Belthazor wasn't used to this. He had spent so much of his life being taught to suppress his human side - his weaker side - and now, he was being asked to cultivate that side for the sake of evil. The Source himself had tasked Belthazor's mother with getting him educated in the mortal world so that he might be able to better blend in and infiltrate when needed. He was to go by his human name Cole Turner and he was to eventually pursue a career in mortal law.

The schooling itself was a test. Belthazor had been home schooled by his mother Elizabeth and by demonic tutors brought in to prepare him for life as a mortal. He had always excelled at those lessons, ever studious when it came to impressing both his mother and the Source. Being only half demon, he'd always had twice as much to prove. Now he was heading off to college and law school, expected to live as a normal mortal young man for years. Obviously, he'd be able to shimmer to the underworld as needed, but for the most part, he was to be on his own. He needed to strike a balance between his mortal cover and his demonic instincts.

Freshman year had been a rough transition for him. What time he wasn't spending in class, he'd spent shimmering back to the underworld. Belthazor had no desire to embrace his humanity. Why should he? Perhaps it was an act of rebellion from the young demon, but after being admonished by Elizabeth and getting word about the Source's displeasure at his constant appearances, he knew he needed to spend more time at his university.

The following years at college were easier, though he did focus more on his studies than socializing. That wasn't to say that he hadn't partaken in the usual college experiences every once in a while, if only for his cover and to better understand the humans he was looking to infiltrate.

One thing that had surprised him most about living with humans was how romantically infatuated people seemed to be with his human form. It wasn't something he'd ever thought of before, but he quickly realized his appearance was something he could use to his advantage when needed. Much like his demonic form was intimidating, his human form was intimidating in a much different way.

By the time Cole Turner had graduated from college and had made it into law school, he was far more acclimated to the human world than he would ever admit - even to himself. It did have some benefits over the underworld. His humanity might have been considered a weakness, but he knew that he had certain advantages with it over other demons. He felt more comfortable moving through either world in either form now, seamlessly shifting from his red and imposing demonic form to his attractive and charming human form. His quest for higher education had provided him a crash course in his humanity and another tool to become the most feared demon the underworld had ever seen.


	21. The Day You Loved Me

November 8th (Thoughtful Thursday) - Rebirth. A moment when your character's life and outlook totally changed. (100 words)

* * *

 _"_ _I was dead before I met you. I was born the day you loved me…"_

Cole penned the letter to Phoebe, knowing eventually she would find a way to vanquish the Source and subsequently himself in the process. He was thankful at least there was enough of himself left to tell her how he felt. Phoebe and her sisters had been just another assignment, but somehow she'd stolen his heart and awakened within him the humanity he'd tried so hard to lose. Day by day, he'd fallen more and more in love with her without even realizing it. She made him want to become a new man… a better man - a _good_ man. She'd changed him forever and he suspected she was the only reason why the Source hadn't taken him over entirely. She'd made him better and he hoped one day to be worthy of her again.


	22. Seeing Red

A/N: November 9th (Friday Feelings) - Anger. You wouldn't like them when they're angry... probably. What makes your character mad and how do they deal with those feelings? (200 words)

* * *

He thought they were being reckless again. Part of him knew that it was because they were relatively new to all of this, but it angered him all the same. Cole didn't think any of the sisters were taking the threats against them as seriously as they needed to. He knew what they were up against. He knew because he'd been a part of it not so long ago and if they wanted to have any chance of survival, let alone claiming victory against the Source, they would need to really buckle down and stop taking things so lightly. None of them knew. None of them understood the magnitude of what they were really up against. He could talk until he was red in the face from transforming into Belthazor and it didn't matter. Perhaps it was his years of suppressing his human side that had made him hardened to his emotions or maybe it was his literal lifetime of experience working for the Source himself. He was getting more short tempered with Phoebe as he tried to train her in hand to hand combat and with her sisters as they continued to interrupt. Growing increasingly frustrated, he shimmered away, giving them both time to regroup before starting again.


	23. Family Man

A/N: November 10th (Saturday Relations) - Guardians. Someone protected your character, whether their parents, mentor, or simply a friend. What does your character think about this protector now? (400 words)

* * *

Benjamin Coleridge Turner's only crime had been falling in love with a demon and for that he'd paid the ultimate price. Benjamin had fallen for Elizabeth the moment they'd met. She was beautiful and charming and everything he'd ever wanted. The romance had been a whirlwind for the young state assemblyman, but he'd been taken with her instantly and was more than happy to spend his life with her. Not long after they were wed, Elizabeth discovered she was with child, and Benjamin had been over the moon at the idea of starting their family so soon. In 1885, their son Coleridge was born and it seemed like their lives couldn't have been any better.

By 1888, things weren't quite so picturesque. Benjamin had become increasingly suspicious of his wife over the years. Sometimes she would disappear with their child at all hours without so much as a word to him. Strange friends would show up for her as well - people she didn't like to talk about and that he didn't know and there were all sorts of odd things showing up at the house that Elizabeth would be cross with him if he deigned to touch them.

One night, he followed her into the woods where she'd taken little Coleridge to meet one of her strange acquaintances. He overheard the two conspiring and witnessed them creating things out of thin air. He knew his eyes didn't deceive him when the acquaintance she'd met disappeared into thin air and Benjamin knew what he had to do. He confronted his wife that night in the woods. He hadn't known how apt he'd been in calling her a demon as he tried to get their boy away from her. He needed to protect him and it cost him his life - struck down by an energy ball from his beloved wife.

Cole could barely remember his father, but he knew he was a good man - an innocent man blinded by love until it had been too late for him. He knew his mother had been using him for his status at the start. He didn't know if Elizabeth had ever truly loved his father or if it had all been a farce. What he did know was how much his father had loved him. He remembered that night that he'd lost so much and part of him hated his mother for what she'd done. Even worse than killing his father before his eyes, Elizabeth and the Source himself had made certain Benjamin's soul couldn't even rest in peace. They'd taken it for leverage, just in case Cole's human half ever stepped out of line. His father had been his weakness and he was still determined even now to make things right. He had to get his father's soul back no matter what the cost. He deserved that much.


	24. Musical Madness

I might have been inspired by BTVS a bit here... November 11th (Any Other Sunday) – 'New genre' AU. What if your slice of life romantic drama was actually a noir murder mystery? Or your epic fantasy characters suddenly found themselves in a superhero story? Supernatural, sci fi, space opera, western, dystopia, horror, cyberpunk… With so many great genres to explore, let's see how your characters handle a genre shift! (500 words)

* * *

"What the hell's going on?" Cole asked as he materialized in the attic of Halliwell manor. He had been shimmering through different dimensions to avoid the demonic bounty hunters when he was forcefully summoned back. He saw his girlfriend and her sisters standing around the book of shadows. "Phoebe, is something wrong?" He didn't think she'd have brought him there unless it had been an emergency.

Phoebe rushed over as music from seemingly nowhere began to swell, filling the room. It had an urgency to the melody with plucking strings and a piano. Cole looked around confused as to where it was coming from.

"Cole, there's something seriously wrong. It's not been happening for long but now I think we might be in real trouble," Phoebe sang, much to his surprise.

"Trouble," Both Piper and Paige harmonized behind her.

"Is this some sort of joke?" Cole asked them, looking incredulously from one to the other.

"It's not a farce. It's not a joke," Phoebe sang.

"Joke," The other two sang behind her again.

"All of this started when we woke."

"Woke."

"We started bursting into song and the urge is strong to dance along," Phoebe sang and her sisters stepped forward, 'ooohing' a harmony to back her up as she continued into the bridge. "We don't know what we're facing. We've never seen it before. The book has nothing in it about a soaring score."

"A soaring score!" Piper and Paige echoed.

"So can you help us? Does any of this seem right? Do you remember anything that just might help us win this fight? Do you know if this is demonic or someone's spell gone awry?" She hit a high note on that last word. "Please help us baby or at least try," She finished as the music faded away around them.

"Oh my god," Paige groaned, rolling her eyes and thankful that ballad was over.

Cole was still standing there a little dumbfounded by the situation.

"Is, uh... is this only affecting the three of you?" He asked them finally.

"No. You should have seen Leo's swinging breakfast shuffle this morning," Paige mentioned.

"I've never seen him get so emotional over cereal before," Piper admitted.

"Okay, let me rephrase that," Cole said, realizing he wasn't clear before. "Is it happening to other people outside of the manor?"

"Yes. It's been all over the news," Phoebe admitted to him. "It's all of San Francisco."

"Has Leo found out anything from the Elders yet?" Cole asked, figuring they would have sent him for information.

"He's not come back yet," Piper admitted. "He left just after he finished his reprise, which was a few hours ago."

"Does any of this sound demonic to you?" Phoebe asked him desperately.

"There are a few demons in other dimensions that might be able to cause this, but I'm not sure if any of them are powerful enough to do it on such a large scale if it's affecting the entire city," Cole explained.

"What could that even accomplish? What kind of demon sings?" Paige asked him.

"Not this one," Cole said flatly. He didn't intend to get caught in the musical madness. "Phoebe, I'll shimmer around - find out what I can about this," He offered.

"Thanks," Phoebe said to him, giving him a passionate kiss before pulling away. "Please be careful?" She asked of him. She worried about the demonic bounty hunters still after him.

"I will," He promised her before shimmering away.

Phoebe sighed and a dreamy violin melody filled the air. "I miss him already..." She began to sing and without warning, Piper blew up a nearby box.

"If I have to listen to or back up another ballad, I'm going to lose it," She snapped before stomping off downstairs with Paige not too far behind, leaving Phoebe to her love song.


	25. Doe Eyed Seduction

November 12th (Monday Metaphors) - Animals. Maybe your character has the heart of a lion? Perhaps they're trying their best to avoid the elephant in the room? Is someone using them as a sacrificial lamb? They're being set up by a kangaroo court, they— Alright, sorry. I guess I'm just flogging a dead horse at this point. (200 words) November 13th (Tuesday Choices) – Weapon of Choice. Whether that's a physical weapon, or something more mundane like the power of puppy-dog eyes, tell us what your character is fighting with today. (200 words)

* * *

"Phoebe, no," Cole told her before she even began.

Phoebe was playfully incensed as she sat on his lap. "You haven't even heard me out yet!" She pouted a little giving him her best doe eyed stare.

"I've heard enough," Cole insisted, putting his arms around her to keep her close. "C'mon, don't do that. Don't give me that look. You know I can't say no to that look."

"That's exactly why I'm giving it to you. You've figured out my devious plan," She teased. "It'll be fun. I promise. And I'll make it worth your while later," She seductively whispered in his ear.

"You'll make it worth my while whether I go or not," Cole countered. He knew his girlfriend well enough to know that much.

"That's true, but you're no fun," She said, playfully swatting at his chest. "What is it? Big bad Bethazor afraid of a little party?"

"It's not the party I'm afraid of... And I'm not really sure you can call it a party. Besides that, I don't know those people."

"But I do," Phoebe reminded him. "And to be fair, you don't know most people and you'll continue not to know anyone if you don't put yourself out there."

Cole sighed, seeing the look she was still giving him. "How do you know them again?"

"Kat was in a lot of my classes and we studied together and her husband Nick was in my economics class. They're nice. It's just a baby shower."

Cole felt like a sheep being led to slaughter, but he knew it was important to Phoebe. Resigned to his fate, he relented. "Alright, I'll go with you."

"Yay! Thank you!" She said before planting a kiss on his lips. She stood up and held out her hand for him. "Let's get going. We've still got to buy a present," She suggested and Cole knew he'd gotten himself into more than he'd bargained for.


	26. Drunken Myths

November 14th (Worldly Wednesday) - Mythology. Tell us something about the myths of your setting, whether they be ancient gods or urban legends. What lessons does your character take from these stories? (400 words)

* * *

"You don't ever talk about you."

The statement seemingly out of the blue from Phoebe had taken Cole aback for a moment. Earlier they had been discussing some of her family background, as the topic of her estranged aunt and drunk cousin on Victor's side had come up during the wedding planning and the conversation had gone on from there.

"What do you mean? There's not really much worth telling," Cole insisted. At least there was nothing he really wanted Phoebe to hear. He was determined to leave his demonic past behind and become a good man worthy of spending the rest of his life with the woman he loved.

"Well, it's just you know so much about me and I don't know much about your past. It couldn't have been _all_ bad," She insisted.

Cole sighed. He had known that the day would come that she'd want more answers than he wanted to give. "I was a demon. _Bad_ is kind of what we specialized in."

"You're telling me you don't have one happy memory you can share in all of your hundred plus years?" Knowing the man he was now, Phoebe refused to believe that.

"I think most of them probably included murder... And that wasn't really happiness, just victory," He admitted, but he saw the look she was giving him. He knew he wasn't getting out of this so easily. "You know that I was a member of The Brotherhood of the Thorn," He mentioned and Phoebe nodded. "Well, back in the day, we really were like brothers. They were the closest thing I had to a real family."

"Cole, I'm so sorry," Phoebe apologized. She'd known they were close, but she hadn't known just how close they'd been.

Cole shook his head and waved off her concerns. That loyalty had died off long ago. "It's okay," He assured her. "But anyway, I was one of the younger members. Not by much, but when I turned fifty, Tarkin insisted we have a party. We'd just... Well, that part isn't important, but let's just say there was cause within the group for celebration," Cole mentioned, glazing over some of the more unsavory details. "So Tarkin, Jassa, Trigg, and I got some liquor and ended up at my place. Vornac, Raynor, and Klea weren't exactly the partying types," He stated. "So the rest of us got pretty wasted and near the end of the night, we started trading stories about these mythical immortal demons that were supposed to have the power to drain any demon of its powers for a short time and it was supposed to temporarily replace them with this sense of euphoria. We were all pretty sure they were made up, so Jassa gets the bright idea that we should try to summon them. We'd all heard the stories and we all thought they were a load of bullshit, so at three in the morning, completely drunk, we raided my kitchen for the ingredients. I didn't have everything, so we had to make some substitutions - like Trigg thought yellow mustard instead of mustard seed would do. Whatever it was we made, it wasn't part of the potion in the legend to summon them, but we drank it anyway before we started chanting the spell. Let me tell you something, demonic constitution or not, drinking anything with mustard and vinegar on top of a couple of bottles of malt liquor _will_ get you sick," He said with a smirk and Phoebe giggled.

"So you guys didn't get your demon high?" She asked him, amused.

"We didn't even get halfway through the chant before Tarkin was puking on my carpet. We called it and I never did get my security deposit back on the place," He admitted with a chuckle.

Phoebe smiled. "Thank you," She said to him and Cole looked a little confused.

"For what?"

"For sharing," She said before leaning in and giving him a kiss.


	27. Graduation

A/N: November 15th (Thoughtful Thursday) - Accomplishment. It's halfway through NaNoWriMo for those participating! If not, you still made it halfway through these prompts. Let's celebrate by getting inside your character's head at a moment when they achieved something important. (100 words)

* * *

It should have been one of the happiest days of her life. She was finally graduating from college after taking such a long break and working her ass off to finish while fighting demons. Still, Phoebe couldn't quite feel much about the impending ceremony. She knew why Cole had to go infiltrate the Brotherhood, but she was worried. He was missing everything and she was missing him. How had things gone wrong so fast?

Phoebe glanced over at her cap and gown hanging in her closet and sighed. She would need to get ready soon if she still intended to walk at graduation. It just didn't feel right. None of it felt right. It wouldn't until she knew Cole was safe.


	28. Gone

A/N: November 16th (Friday Feelings) - Grief. Who (or what) and how does your character mourn? (200 words)

* * *

The penthouse had never felt so empty. It had been months since the Charmed ones had vanquished him, but this was the first time he was coming back to his own place - technically the Source's place. It had never really been his. Cole looked around the apartment. Everything seemed to be tidy and in order, but going into the bedroom told a different story. Gone were all the stuffed animals he'd bought for the baby. Despite having been possessed by the Source at the time, that had been all Cole. What little of him that had been clinging on had been excited about starting a family with Phoebe and now all of that was gone.

He went over to the closet, trying to find some semblance or trace that hadn't been erased of the child they'd lost - the child that the Seer had claimed was never theirs to begin with. He knew Phoebe well enough to know she wouldn't get rid of everything and he was proven right when he found the big teddy bear tucked behind a box in the back of the closet. He pulled it out and held it close as he went to sit on the edge of the bed. Everything was wrong. He held tight to the teddy bear as tears began to fall. He didn't know Phoebe had done much the same after losing him. Phoebe didn't want him around now and their unborn son was just _gone_. Maybe tomorrow he'd start to try to make things right, but now he had to grieve everything he'd lost and everything he never really had.


	29. You've Gotta Have Friends

A/N: November 17th (Saturday Relations) - Friends. Does your character call anyone 'friend'? What do they think of their friends, and what would they do for a friend? (300 words)

* * *

In all his life, Cole Turner had never really had anyone he could call a friend. He had belonged to the Brotherhood of the Thorn for nearly a century, but their alliance and claims of brotherhood didn't run as nearly as deep as their name would have one to believe. They were demons and demons didn't have friendships - at least not in the mortal sense of the word. Friendships were a weakness they had no need for and weakness would get you vanquished.

Now, he supposed that Darryl and Leo were the closest thing he had to friends, but that was more out of circumstance than much else. Phoebe's sisters certainly weren't his friends. They tolerated him, he supposed, and he couldn't really blame them after everything. Being tolerated was far better than being vanquished and he knew Phoebe wanted them to put up with him, so they did.

It was all still a work in progress though, which led him back to Darryl and Leo. Since asking Phoebe to marry him, she'd already been talking wedding details and he would need groomsmen to stand with him at the ceremony, since Piper and Paige would be her bridesmaids. Of course, Leo would be one of the groomsmen. It was just a given, since he'd soon be Cole's brother-in-law too. There really wasn't much of a choice there. As for Darryl, he'd worked with him for a while when he was assistant DA and even though they didn't always see eye to eye, Cole respected him. Hell, since becoming fully mortal himself, he was even a little envious of Darryl's job.

Maybe Phoebe was right. Maybe he needed friends. He'd ask the two to stand with him at his wedding and maybe before then they could get together and watch one of those baseball games Darryl and Leo were always talking about. He'd technically already been to hell. It couldn't be worse than that.


	30. Charmed, I'm Sure

A/N: November 18th (Any Other Sunday) - Historical AU. Whether you decide to borrow from our real world history, or an in-universe past, let's write some good old-fashioned historical AUs today. (500 words)

* * *

"Have you ever thought about past lives?" Phoebe asked, completely out of the blue.

"Past lives?" Cole asked her, not really sure where she was going with that.

"Yeah, I mean... It's just something I've been thinking about lately. I've been to my past life before and the way I understand it, souls tend to find each other throughout the years," She admitted.

"When did you go to a past life?" That was the first he was hearing about that. "When did you end up?"

"Last year and the year was 1924," Phoebe told him.

"I was 39 then," Cole mentioned to her. It hadn't been a past life for him. He was still living it.

"Really? Maybe you knew me..." Phoebe mused.

Cole shook his head. "I think I would remember you," He told her.

"Maybe. Maybe not. My last name was Russell *and* I was evil then," She informed him.

"Evil?" Cole looked at her skeptically. "Phoebe, you don't have an evil bone in your body," He assured her. "You never have," He wholeheartedly believed that.

"No, I was. I swear! I might not be evil now, but P. Russell was. And she was even in love with an immortal warlock," She mentioned. *That* was what was really on her mind. Even though Cole was a half-demon and not a warlock, maybe the story was playing out the same.

That caught his attention. "Who was the warlock?" He asked her.

"His name was Anton," She admitted and she saw the instant change in Cole's demeanor.

"You're telling me _you_ were the witch Anton fell in love with?" He asked her.

"Well, technically, me but not _me_..."

"I met her once," He realized. "He brought her to the underworld once. How could I not realize..." He shook his head as the memories flooded back.

It was New Year's Eve 1923 and things were business as usual underground. The Brotherhood of the Thorn had been in a meeting with the Source of All Evil, getting their orders on what schemes he wanted them to enact next. Belthazor had a bit of time before he needed to go above ground for his next assignment, wanting to avoid all of the mortals celebrating the new year. He was in his human form, just biding his time for a bit.

"Anton, I don't know about this. It seems unseemly."

Belthazor heard her voice before he saw her.

"Everything's fine," Anton assured the young woman as they turned the corner, finally coming into view. Belthazor knew Anton only in passing, but he didn't think much of him. The young woman, however, was new and gorgeous. Anton was keeping an arm around her waist to keep her close. "I just need to get some supplies, that's all. You want this to work, don't you? You want us to be together?"

"Of course I do," She was quick to insist. "But did you really have to drag me down here? It's a cave. It's barbaric," She said, taking stock of the place as she looked around. She caught sight of the tall, dark haired man in the corner and gave him a smile. "Still, perhaps the view isn't all bad," She mentioned, looking Belthazor up and down appreciatively.

"You know there are no visitors allowed, Anton," Belthazor told him, going over to the pair. "Neither of you should be here."

"It's none of your business, Belthazor," Anton insisted to him, keeping a firm grip around his girlfriend.

"Belthazor? Why, that's an interesting name. I'm-"

"Just leaving," Anton said, pulling her away from the demon. "Don't talk to him," He chided her. "He's dangerous."

"You know that's how I like my men," She insisted, stealing another glance as they walked away.

"I'm how you like your men," Anton reminded her, getting a little angry now, but she just gave him a seductive smile.

"Especially when you're jealous," She teased, knowing exactly how to press his buttons. She moved in close to kiss him, but he held her at her shoulders before she could.

"Not here. Not now," Anton growled at her, noticing Belthazor was still watching them.

"You're no fun," She pouted. "I can't believe we're missing the party for this."

"That's why you shouldn't fall in love with mortals, Anton," Belthazor said to him. "No matter how beautiful they might be," He said, giving her one of those appreciative glances she'd been giving him. "Get her out of her, Anton," He warned him. " _Now_."

"I never got the chance to properly introduce myself," She said to him.

"Charmed, I'm sure," Belthazor said to her.

"Maybe someday," She agreed, giving him another smile before Anton blinked them out of the underworld in a jealous huff.

It would be over 75 years before their souls would meet again.


	31. Nexus Schmexus

A/N: November 19th (Monday Metaphors) - Geography. Describe something in the environment that reflects your character in some way. (200 words)

* * *

The manor was a source of great power all on its own. Beneath the dingy concrete floor lay a great power that was coveted by both good and evil, as it could benefit either side, depending on who controlled the manor. Cole felt a little uneasy living in the house. Once upon a time, he would have relished in the potential power boost and might have even hoped to use it for more nefarious purposes, but now that he was using his powers for the side of good, he worried about the temptation. Had he not known all he did, it wouldn't have been a problem, but now he knew what to look for. He could feel it. Distractions helped. If he kept his focus on Phoebe, he could ignore the pull of power. He intended to do just that. Nexus schmexus! Phoebe's love was the most powerful influence on him anyway.


	32. Quizzed

A/N: November 20th (Tuesday Choices) - Alignment chart! Today we're thinking about your character's moral choices. Where do they think they fit on this alignment chart? Is that really where they belong? (300 words)

* * *

"You're giving me homework?" Cole asked, looking at the magazine his girlfriend had plopped down in front of him along with a pencil. "Phoebe, what is this?"

Phoebe tried her best to look innocent. "Well... I was just thinking that you know how Piper and Prue are still a little wary about you and your intentions?"

"You mean how they still think I'm trying to kill you all and that I'm evil? Yeah, I think I'm pretty clear on that," Cole said with a sigh. He knew he had a long way to go to earn their trust, but he was trying his best.

"Well... I just thought if you took this alignment quiz it might help show them that you're not evil," She said simply. "It can't hurt."

Cole really didn't think some quiz from a magazine was going to hold any weight with them, but he saw the way Phoebe was looking at him. He supposed she was right that humoring her wouldn't hurt. He picked up the pencil and looked down to the quiz. After a moment of reading, however, he looked puzzled and back up to his girlfriend. "What in the hell _is_ this?"

"I told you... A quiz."

"Phoebe, all of the questions and answers are about sex!"

Phoebe looked a little guilty. "Yeah... But..."

Cole unfolded the magazine so he could see the opposite page with the title of the quiz. "Is your guy lawful good or chaotic evil between the sheets? Find out in this hot and steamy quiz?" Cole read out loud. "What kind of magazine is this?" He closed the magazine and looked at the cover. "You're trying to convince your sisters I'm not evil with a sex quiz from Cosmo?"

"Well... I thought maybe the sex questions could sort of be metaphorical, " She told him. "It's not like they make quizzes for our situation."

"A magazine with "J-Lo's 9 secrets to your best butt ever" on the cover isn't going to convince anyone of anything... especially your sisters," He said, setting it aside.

"It was worth a shot," Phoebe said with a sigh. So much for that plan.


	33. Hierarchies

A/N: November 21st (Worldly Wednesday) - Government. Who rules the roost in your setting? How do they enforce their will and laws? Alternatively, is it a lawless society? Who does YOUR character answer to? (400 words) and November 28th (Worldly Wednesday) - Hierarchy. Every culture has hierarchies, people that have higher status than others – sometimes that position is earned, and sometimes it isn't. What gives people status in your universe? Where does your character fit into the hierarchy? (400 words)

* * *

There was always a demonic chain of command as far as Cole could remember. The lore passed down through the ages had changed a bit over the years, depending on who was telling the stories and what their part in the chain entailed, but it was generally agreed upon that there had always been a Source of All Evil. Whether or not the Source was the end all be all of evil, despite the name, was quietly debated among different mystical circles. In any event, there was a hierarchy of evil set by the demon that the others believed to have the most power. Cole had never really questioned if the Source was the highest ranking evil. He had no need to. He answered to him via the Brotherhood and as an upper level demon himself, he had pledged his loyalty in blood. He had had his place in the hierarchy and that was that.

Now, suddenly mortal, things had changed. The hierarchy he answered to was no longer the Brotherhood or the Source or any other number of demons in between. He was living in the manor with his girlfriend and her sisters and he found that these days, Piper seemed to be the end all be all of everything in the household. It made sense. She was now the eldest sister and thus the head of the household. Without much to call his own anymore, he was beholden to asking to borrow Piper's car on occasion, but it was entirely up to her as to whether or not to honor the request. He also had to answer to Phoebe. Of course, he was far more willing to do whatever she asked of him.

As a mortal, he was also subject to follow the local laws in a way he'd never had to before. Despite the fact that he knew the local laws, as a demon he'd never really had to abide by them much. Now, however, he was expected to just like any other mortal. It was quite the adjustment, but he was trying his best.


	34. Fears Realized

A/N: November 22nd (Thoughtful Thursday) - Fear. Whether it's monsters, spiders, or something less tangible, show us what your character is thinking when forced to confront something that terrifies them. (100 words)

Barbas had been playing on his greatest fear for days, gnawing away at him until he'd began to slip down a slope of pure madness. Cole Turner was absolutely terrified that he was evil and the demon of fear knew how to press his every button on that issue. He didn't want to be evil anymore. He longed so desperately to be good and had been trying so hard not to use his powers for evil. Just because they were demonic in origin didn't mean that was all he could ever be, right? After Barbas' interference, he wasn't so sure.


	35. Family Reunion

A/N: November 23rd (Friday Feelings) - 3... 2... 1... Surprise! Your character is going to be facing someone or something unexpected today. Whether a good surprise or bad, show us how your character reacts. (200 words)

* * *

"Mother?"

Cole stood slack jawed at the sight of Elizabeth Turner before him. She was appearing in her human form and, of course, she didn't look a day older than the last time he'd seen her.

" _Mother_?" Piper asked, just as shocked that Cole's apparent demonic mother was showing up in their living room.

"Cole has a mother? I thought demons were just spawned," Paige muttered and Piper nudged her sister.

"Mother, why are you here? _How_ are you here?" He asked her, absolutely dumbfounded and ignoring the comments around them. He was under the impression she'd been vanquished long ago.

"My boy... My darling Belthazor," Elizabeth said to him, reaching out, but Cole was keeping his distance and making sure that Phoebe and her sisters stayed behind him. Elizabeth looked troubled. "I've come back for you. To warn you. To protect you," She insisted.

"My mother is dead," Cole said coldly. "Whoever or whatever you are - you need to leave before I vanquish you myself," He warned, already forming an energy ball in his hand.

"Cole," Phoebe said to him, worried about the off-chance he was wrong. What if it was somehow actually his mother?

"It's not her," Cole insisted. "She never cared about me. She only cared about the power and acclaim I could bring her by way of the Source."

"Well that explains a lot," Paige said, which earned her another nudge by Piper.

"Not the time," Her eldest sister said to her.

"You're wrong, Belthazor," Elizabeth chided him. "You were the reason for everything I did. You were the reason for-"

"I don't want to hear it," Cole snapped at her, lifting his arm to throw the energy ball.

"But my son! I love you, my boy," She pleaded and he paused.

"Love?" He asked her and she smiled at him, just before he threw the energy ball, igniting her. During the vanquish, she transformed into the demon she really was - certainly not Elizabeth Turner - before bursting out of existence. "She always said love was weakness - and weakness wouldn't be tolerated," Cole explained. She had tried so hard to stamp out any humanity within him. She had failed, just as the demon impersonating her had.


	36. Faces in the Crowd

A/N: November 24th (Saturday Relations) - Nobodies. Not everyone can be important to your character. Who are they indifferent to, and how are they treating those people? (200 words)

* * *

Cole sat in his usual spot at the demonic strip club, taking advantage of the dark and loud atmosphere to try to drown out the thoughts in his head. The last time he'd visited, he'd vanquished Kaia's friend with an athame to the gut and he noticed none of the other dancers were so eager to take him on as a client now. Maybe they were smarter than what he gave them credit for.

He sat back, making himself comfortable on the plush couch as he kept an eye out for a dancer desperate enough to take him on. It didn't matter what she looked like so long as she was able to shapeshift into exactly what he wanted - Phoebe. All of the other women were just faces in a crowd. They didn't matter. None of them mattered but her.

His mind was already far gone - coming undone at the seams and it didn't matter who he hurt. At least this way, he was vanquishing demons instead of innocents - even if they were low level Kieran demons. Still, he doubted it would win him any points with Phoebe. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered without her. He spotted a brunette eying him from across the room. He had the photo of Phoebe in his pocket, nestled safely with his favorite athame, just waiting to be used.


	37. Up There

A/N: Set during the season 5 episode "Sympathy for the Demon".

* * *

"Are you sure we should be here?" Cole asked as he looked around. The room was bright and there was a calm stillness in the air.

"Where else did you expect me to take you to keep you safe?" Leo asked him. They had orbed in from the manor. With Barbas after them, the sisters had agreed that Cole was an innocent that they needed to protect and it had been up to Leo to do so.

"And where exactly is _here_? I mean, are we...?" Cole pointed upwards. He thought he already knew. He could just _feel_ the goodness and light surrounding them there, but he had to be sure.

"Yeah," Leo said with a shrug, as though it were nothing. "What is it?"

"Well, it's just... for a guy like me, I would expect the Elders to smite me on sight," Cole admitted, trying to keep his tone a little lighthearted, but he was being entirely serious. He was nervous just being there, despite the warm, safe feeling that was surrounding him.

"You mean because of your demonic past?" Leo asked him.

"Take your pick, Leo," Cole said to him. "The fact that I was born half-demon... My years in the Brotherhood, becoming the Source of All Evil, all those powers from the demonic wasteland," He listed off. "I would think I'd be the very last person they'd allow up here."

"Right now at this moment, you're an innocent. You're not evil," Leo told him.

"Aren't I? Do you really believe that?" Cole challenged. "No matter what I do everyone seems to think I'm evil anyway." Cole was more than a little fed up with the way he'd been treated. Without any demonic powers coursing through him, he felt lighter but still the same man he had been.

"My powers don't lie, Cole. If you were evil, I wouldn't have been able to heal you," Leo insisted.

"And that's the only metric that matters, right? Let's just throw intent out the window if demonic powers are involved." Cole paced the length of the white room they were in.

"What do you want me to say? We're trying to help you," Leo told him.

" _Now_ maybe, but what about then? What about a few months ago when I came back with all of these powers? What about when I was possessed by the Source?" Cole snapped.

"Possessed?"

"And what is it about up here, huh? Why am I saying all of this?" Cole asked, not really sure why he was venting so much to Leo. Normally these were things that he kept to himself and if he _was_ going to talk to someone about it, it certainly wouldn't have been Leo.

Leo was a little flustered by all the information coming at him. He figured he'd address the last thing first. "In order to achieve peace and serenity in the afterlife, you have to let go of everything that plagued you in your mortal life. I brought you to one of the rooms used for that. It seemed like the best place," Leo offered with a shrug.

"You brought me to a heavenly confessional?" Cole was even more incensed at hearing that. "Jesus, Leo, I think I would have been better off taking my chances with Barbas."

"I didn't know where else to bring you to keep you safe! I couldn't exactly put you into the general population here with all of the Elders-"

"So they _do_ have a problem with me being here. I knew it!"

"Cole, what did you mean when you said you were possessed?"

Cole rolled his eyes. "Why don't you ask the Elders while we're here. I'm sure they already know," He said, fighting the urge to say more. He felt like he was giving the Elders and whoever else that might be listening the satisfaction of hearing his deepest secrets and he was stubborn enough that he wasn't going to spill everything.

Leo sighed. "Fine, you don't have to say anything else if you don't want to, but it might help," He said to him and Cole scoffed as he continued to pace.

"We should be down there helping them you know," Cole finally said after a few moments, breaking the silence between them.

"You don't have any powers now. You're no match against Barbas," He reminded him.

"How long has it been down there? I assume time works differently here too just like it does in the underworld, right?" Cole asked him and Leo gave a nod.

"We can go ahead and try to head back," Leo told him. Though for Leo it only felt like minutes had passed and for Cole it felt a bit longer, it had been hours on Earth. He knew he was taking a risk with Cole's life by taking him back already without having heard from the girls, but he was a little worried that they hadn't been in contact at all. He went over to Cole and grabbed his arm again to orb them back to the manor. Cole felt the warmth and light feeling leave and he was certain he'd never feel anything quite like that again as they settled back into the cold mortal world.


	38. All Together Now

April 1: Absolutely every sentence must start with an A-word. All of them. And the dialogue, too! (100 words)

* * *

"Are any of you going to take this seriously?" All Cole wanted was some assurance that they weren't brushing off these attacks that had been increasing in intensity and frequency since they'd started.

"All of us are taking this seriously, honey," Phoebe soothed, trying to be the mediator as she placed a hand on his chest.

"All of you are in danger. As long as the Source keeps sending demons after you, you're not safe," Cole emphasized.

"Alright already," Piper groaned, rolling her eyes at the warning from the half demon. "Anyone want to tell me something I don't know?"


	39. Zapped

April 2: B's! Literal bees - or your in-universe equivalent pest - attack your characters! (200 words)

* * *

"What the hell are all of these?" Piper shouted as she was swatting at the surrounding swarm. Paige had screamed for help in the attic and Piper had been the closest one to come to her aid.

"I don't know! I was just up here minding my own business and they just appeared!" Paige said quickly, the panic already rising in her voice. She was squinting her eyes closed against the magical insects, barely able to see her older sister for the buzzing pests.

"What's going on up- AHHH!" Phoebe yelped once she entered and Cole was right behind her. Both were a little disheveled, having been engaged in other activities that had been interrupted by the screaming upstairs. She hurried behind her boyfriend and Cole looked around the attic as he buttoned the last few buttons on his shirt, quickly realizing what had happened. Without a word, he conjured an energy ball in his hand and the bugs flew to it, zapping themselves out of existence as quickly as they came.

"Was anyone stung?" Cole was quick to ask the two sisters that had first encountered the bugs.

"I was. What were those things?" Paige asked. Her skin was littered with little red bumps.

"Call for Leo _now,_ " Cole urged. "Those were demonic bees sent by the Source. They'll drain the magic of anyone they sting for about a day if they're not healed immediately."

"So we'd be powerless against an attack," Phoebe said from behind him.

"Exactly. He's getting ready to make a move," Cole reasoned.

"Then we'll be ready," Piper said. She looked up to the ceiling. "Leo!"


	40. Date Interrupted

April 3: Q. Cue - a signal to begin. Queue - a line awaiting their turn. Use both today! (100 words)

* * *

"This line is taking forever. I don't know what the holdup is," Piper said as she peeked around to see the front of the queue. She and Leo were waiting to buy tickets to a film for a much needed date night.

"We've got time before it starts," Leo assured, having much more patience than his wife.

"I know, but we've got to get our popcorn and get settled and this is the only night that neither of us have anything planned and-" Piper paused, seeing the look Leo got. "Oh no…"

"That's my cue," Leo said apologetically, having heard the whitelighter jingle.

"Leo! Don't you dare leave me in this line," Piper warned him.

"I'll try to be back before the movie ends," He said to her before giving her a kiss and then going to an alley to orb out.

"So much for date night," Piper muttered.


	41. Late Night Snack

May 24: In the dark of the night, in the deep of the woods… (200 Words)

* * *

In the dark of the night… in the deep of the woods, Phoebe stood alongside the bonfire and looked skeptically at her boyfriend. "Are you sure about this?"

Cole looked over at her as he was gathering the supplies they'd need. "Absolutely sure," He said confidently, but Phoebe obviously wasn't so certain.

"I just don't know that this is such a good idea. And besides, we're not really _camping_ people-"

"It's only for one night and we're not really camping," Cole reminded her.

"Hey, we're in the woods and you built a fire and I brought marshmallows in my bag. I think it counts as camping."

"You brought _marshmallows?"_ Cole asked her, unable to hide his amusement.

"What?" She asked him innocently. "I thought we might want to toast some over the fire if we got hungry."

"Phoebe, this is a ritual fire," He told her.

"And I watched you build it and other than the fact that you started it with an energy ball instead of a match, I'm pretty sure fire is fire," She countered.

Cole sighed, knowing even as a lawyer that this was one argument he wasn't going to win. "If you're going to toast marshmallows, do it _before_ we start the ritual to prevent the Source from resurrecting the Triad," Cole suggested to her.

"Why? Will it mess with them? Like create evil marshmallows or something?" She asked him.

"For the fifth time, the ritual itself is totally neutral. That's why it needs both light and dark magic to work together to do it."

"Fifth? I only asked you once," Phoebe defended.

"Piper and Leo both asked me once. Prue asked _twice,"_ Cole admitted to her with a heavy sigh. "Go ahead and get the marshmallows. We've got to wait until midnight to start anyway," He conceded.


	42. Lost

May 25: This path definitely led somewhere else yesterday. There is a mysterious old house off in the distance and your character can no longer figure out how to get home. (400 Words)

* * *

Cole had only gone out to run an errand. That's what he'd told Phoebe when he'd left early that morning and that he'd be back later. In truth, he'd needed some time alone to think. Everything had happened so fast. Vanquishing his demonic half had left him relieved but more than a little terrified to be merely mortal and he was still trying to process the loss. He'd driven himself out of the city, not really having a clear destination in mind. He just knew that he needed a few hours away. That's how he'd found himself in the middle of nowhere, having parked his car at the edge of the road in order to walk off the beaten path for a while.

He'd been gone for hours now and it was starting to get dark outside. He had been walking around in the woods for so long and he felt practically as lost as he already had been. Cole could see a house in the distance. It was more like a run down mansion really and he was strangely drawn to it, having gone deeper into the woods in order to check it out. It seemed like the further he went towards it, the further away it was. Thoughts of returning to the city and Phoebe had all but left his mind. He had to go to that house. He _needed_ to go to that house. It was like some primal urge was driving him towards it with all other thoughts forgotten. He was no longer preoccupied with the reality that he was only human. There was only the house and the house alone.

It was getting close to midnight now and he was finally nearing it when bright lights in front of him interrupted his stride.

"Cole!"

A woman stood before him with another man by her side. Before he could process what was happening, the woman had ran over to him and put her arms around him and it was then that something finally clicked.

 _"Phoebe?"_ Cole asked her and it was like a heavy fog was lifting from his mind.

"Baby, you never came home and I was so worried. I had a premonition that you were lost," She said to him before kissing his cheek and then planting one on his lips as well.

Cole glanced over, finally realizing that the man with her as Leo. He had orbed them there.

"I'm sorry," He apologized. "I don't… I don't know what happened," Cole admitted. "There was this house and-" He looked off into the distance where the house had been but it was nowhere to be found. There was nothing there but the trees.

"Baby, what house?" Phoebe asked, confused, looking around. They were surrounded by forest.

"Guys, I think we'd better go," Leo advised the couple. "Something's not right here," He told them.

"What is it?" Phoebe asked, still staying close to Cole.

"You're sure there was a house?" Leo asked Cole and he nodded affirmatively.

"It's probably a lure for mortals. It keeps them there and feeds off their energy until they're too weak and then it finishes them off once they reach it," Leo mentioned, having heard word about those kinds of traps. "Magical beings are immune, but…" Cole wasn't magical anymore.

"I should have realized," Cole said, unable to believe he had fallen for such a cheap trick. "That's why it disappeared when you two showed up. How the hell could I have fallen for that?"

"Don't beat yourself up over it. It's designed to disorient and to consume-"

"Yeah, I know, Leo. I'm not some clueless innocent. I'm a goddamn upper-level demon! I should know a lure when I see one!" He angrily snapped at him.

"Hey," Phoebe soothed, putting a hand on his chest. She knew where all of this was coming from. "It's okay. We've all been duped before by something and it sounds like this was one of those you don't have a choice types of things. Let's just go home."

 _Home._ Cole wasn't sure if the manor really felt like home, but when Phoebe put her arms around him, _that_ felt like home. It was a far greater lure than any evil force could produce. He and Phoebe latched onto Leo to orb them back to the manor, leaving his car for another day. They'd return for it soon enough and this time, Phoebe would be by his side, reminding him where he could always find home.


End file.
